As recently witnessed in underground mining, once a disruption of the ventilation system occurs, restoration of the ventilation is very critical for mine workers. Moreover, having the ability to sufficiently construct or repair the ventilation disruption quickly will enhance the effectiveness of the entire ventilation system. Such quick response is required in several situations, such as mine rescue and barricading.
The present invention expedites the ventilation construction in such emergency conditions, so that reliable air ventilation can be achieved more quickly and easily than in currently used devices, such as line curtains. In addition, the present invention is also useful for everyday use.
Currently, tents or line curtains are used in the event of fire or explosion to provide a temporary ventilation diversion. In the event of such an emergency, reliable air ventilation is critical for workers trapped in the mine. In particular, a line curtain is used to seal off a contained area for the workers. The line curtains are manually attached to the floors and walls of the mine, so that the workers can be secured in a safe environment. The line curtains isolate a physical area within the mine to maintain healthy air quality for the workers until they can be rescued or make a safe escape.
However, these line curtains are cumbersome to use, since the workers must manually attach the edges of the curtains to the walls, floors and ribs. Hammers, nails, boards, roof bolts, crib blocks, etc. are required to secure the line curtains. This is labor intensive and time consuming, and certainly not ideal in emergency conditions. In addition, it is very difficult to get a tight seal, and thus, air quality is compromised.